Hines by
a Nose in Thursday Chili Bowl Qualifier!
Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 15, 2009) For the second time in as many nights, it
was a past Chili Bowl champion reaching victory lane at the QuikTrip Center's Tulsa Expo
Raceway. This time, it was 2005 Chili Bowl
king Tracy Hines tracking down top honors in Thursday's 25-lap Warren CAT Qualifying night
feature event at the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by
General Tire.
The
triumph before a standing-room-only crowd came by the narrowest of margins though, as
Hines flashed across the finish line in the Tony Stewart Racing Kistler Chevy-powered No.
21 Chevy/Bass Pro Shops Spike just 0.12-seconds ahead of fellow Hoosier State hotshoe Dave
Darland.
Also
assured of a starting slot in Saturday night's 50-lap Chili Bowl championship main event
along with Hines and Darland is Illinois native and 2008 ARCA champion Justin Allgaier,
who claimed the show position to lock into his third career Chili Bowl finale. Hines and Darland will both make their eleventh
career championship feature starts on Saturday night.
Hines
and Darland earned the front row for Thursday's feature through heat race and qualifying
action and then hinted at the close finish to follow in the opening handful of circuits,
dueling for the lead in wheel-to-wheel fashion with Hines running the low line and Darland
on the top shelf.
After
the battle was interrupted five laps in due to a Scott Hatton spin in turn two, Hines
established a grip on the lead and moved to the upper portion of the racetrack, building
nearly a straightaway advantage over the ensuing laps.
Hines
pace was only marginally slowed after reaching lapped traffic at the midway point, with
Darland making up minimal ground as Allgaier fought off Brent Beauchamp for the third and
final lock-in position.
Hines'
comfortable advantage went by the wayside as the caution flag flew just three laps short
of the finish when Jason Meyers slid to a stop in turn three, surrendering the sixth
position in the process.
After
another pair of quick cautions, Darland was on Hines' tailtank for the
green-white-checkered run. And, as Hines
continued to work the high line over the final two laps, Darland got perhaps his best run
of the race off the bottom of turn four on the final lap.
Darland pulled alongside but fell just inches short as Hines took the checkered
flag.
While
Darland settled for second in the Toyota-powered Wilke-Pak Motorsports Speedway Motors No.
5 Spike, Allgaier slipped away from his chasers in the final scramble to secure third
aboard Ebby Bergfield's Esslinger-powered Ethanol No. 86 Spike.
After
battling each other throughout the night, including some qualifying race contact, Shane
Cottle and Donnie Ray Crawford mixed it up for position much of the way in the feature
event. Trading positions several times in the
closing circuits, Cottle got the edge on the final lap to claim fourth with Crawford
rounding out the top five.
Beauchamp
got shuffled back to sixth in the final two-lap dash to the checkered flag, with Glenn
Carson in seventh. After starting outside the
second row, Jesse Hockett lost a left front shock in the early going and still managed an
eighth-place showing.
Nathan
High claimed ninth, with Jay Drake's first full night of competition behind the wheel in
more than two years netted a tenth-place finish after starting 17th.
Among
Thursday's heat race winners that also included Frank Polimeda, Rob Russell, Jimmy Light,
Darland, Allgaier, Crawford, Cottle and Beauchamp, Drake later posted the night's
second-narrowest victory when he nipped Michelle Decker by 0.023-seconds at the line in
the first "B" Main.
The
night's closest finish came in the third "A" qualifier when Scott Hatton edged
Allgaier by just 0.009-seconds. Other
qualifying race winners included Hockett, Wise and A.J. Fike, who surrendered a fifth-row
feature starting position when he made a quick trip to the work area prior to the start.
Billy
Pauch, Jr., and Garrett Hansen topped the "C" Mains, with Scott Pierovich
joining Drake among the ranks of "B" Main winners.
There
were nine tumbles over the course of the evening, including fence-manglers by Channing
Zierolf and Nick Knepper in heat race competition. Jonathan
Hendrick and Brad Sweet also got upside down in heat race action before returning for
unsuccessful attempts to climb from "C" to "B" Main competition.
Scotty
Weir and Dylan Peterson both got upside down in "C"Main action, with Eric
Sandage, Ricky Ehrgott and Derek Hagar all flipping in the qualifiers.
The
fourth and final qualifying night of the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl
Nationals presented by General Tires hits the track at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night, setting
the stage for Saturday's slate of championship feature events.
Thursday Night's Warren
CAT Qualifying Results from the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals presented by General Tire
Heat Races (8 Laps - Top 40 in passing points to A
Qualifiers; Balance to two C Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #44F Frank Polimeda,
Fort Lee, NJ; 2. #37J Jeff Bland Jr., Bloomington, IN; 3. #7X Michelle Decker, Guthrie,
OK; 4. #21T Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE; 5. #26 Glenn Carson, Concord, CA; 6. #11B Scott
Weir, Marion, IN; 7. #10C Scott Allen, Kansas City, KS; 8. #33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour,
IN; 9. #68 Jonathan Hendrick, Fortville, IN
Heat 2: 1. #10R Rob Russell, Fremont, CA; 2. #21 Tracy
Hines, New Castle, IN; 3. #2D Steve Davis, Norco, CA; 4. #11J Justin Melton, Flower Mound,
TX; 5. #44 Ryan Pace, Brownsburg, IN; 6. 36X Dylan Peterson, Sioux Falls, SD; 7. #75 David
Gough, Machesney Park, IL; 8. 331V Victor Davis, Simi Valley, CA; 9. #76K Frank Ikerd,
Loma Linda, CA
Heat 3: 1. #4M Jimmy Light, Indianapolis, IN; 2. #27D
Danny Jennings, Norman, OK; 3. #14J Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA; 4. #1D Dennis Rodriguez,
Camarillo, CA; 5. #27 Ryan Kaplan, Chico, CA; 6. #0 Glenn Styres, Ohsweken, Ont.; 7. #6Z
Cody Kershaw, Oak, Park, CA; 8. #0C Cameron Beard, Atwater, CA
Heat 4: 1. #5 Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN; 2. #69 A.J.
Fike, Galesburg, IL; 3. #25A Aaron Ott, York Springs, PA; 4. #9JR Derek Hagar, Marion, AR;
5. #07X Jennifer Greenberg, Albuquerque, NM; 6. #58 Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 7. #2X Doug
Day, Winder, GA; 8. #49 Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA
Heat 5: 1. #86 Justin Allgaier, Cornelius, NC; 2. #22
Brian Camarillo, Camarillo, CA; 3. #60 Eric Sandage, Alexander, AR; 4. #57 Kevin Studley,
Plainfield, IN; 5. #38G Coleman Gulick, Binghamton, NY; 6. 10 Will Pierce, Lees Summit,
MO; 7. #21K Kurt Mayhew, Demotte, IN; 8. #31L Chuck Knight, Fort Smith, AR
Heat 6: 1. #55 Donnie Ray Crawford, Tulsa, OK; 2. #15H
Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 3. #35X Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 4. #49P Billy Pauch Jr.,
Frenchtown, NJ; 5. #7C Chris Burns, Bethany, OK; 6. #10B Brock Lemley, Bellingham, WA; 7.
#1M Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron, KS; 8. #05X Channing Zierolf, Houma, LA
Heat 7: 1. #67 Jay Drake, Brownsburg, IN; 2. #18 Donnie
Trent, Honey Brook, PA; 3. #8R Ricky Ehrgott, Brownsburg, IN; 4. #57X Jason Holt,
Brownsville, IN; 5. #7J Eric Todd, Falcon, MO; 6. #87C Tim Crawley, Little Rock, AR; 7.
#7E Blake Miller, Yorba Linda, CA; 8. #24 Nick Foster Jr., San Jose, CA
Heat 8: 1. #1S Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 2. #75W Josh
Wise, Columbus, IN; 3. #12JR Nathan High, Goodyear, AZ; 4. #83 Kurt Blackaby, Bentonville,
AR; 5. #70 Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA; 6. #11A Andrew Felker, Carl Junction, MO;
7. #3A Bill Allen, Independence, MO; 8. #50T Tom Everhart, El Cajon, CA
Heat 9: 1. #112 Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, IN; 2. #7B
Austin Brown, Millstadt, IL; 3. #05H Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, MO; 4. #7 Critter Malone,
Speedway, IN; 5. #73T Samantha Taylor, Bonney Lake, WA; 6. #4F Chad Frewaldt, Kansas City,
KS; 7. #64 Brett Miller, Chico, CA; 8. #55K Nick Knepper, Belleville, IL
C Mains (12 Laps - Top 4 in each transfer to back of
corresponding B Main)
C Main 1: 1. #49P Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ; 2.
#75 David Gough, Machesney Park, IL; 3. #58 Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 4. #7C Chris Burns,
Bethany, OK; 5. #73T Samantha Taylor, Bonney Lake, WA; 6. #68 Jonathan Hendrick,
Fortville, IN; 7. #2X Doug Day, Winder, GA; 8. #31L Chuck Knight, Fort Smith, AR; 9. #10B
Brock Lemley, Bellingham, WA; 10. #50T Tom Everhart, El Cajon, CA; 11. #3A Bill Allen,
Independence, MO; 12. #10C Scott Allen, Kansas City, KS; 13. #11A Andrew Felker, Carl
Junction, MO; 14. #11B Scott Weir, Marion, IN; 15. #1M Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron, KS DNS
#05X Channing Zierolf, Houma, LA; #55K Nick Knepper, Belleville, IL
C Main 2: 1. #70 Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA;
2. #7E Blake Miller, Yorba Linda, CA; 3. #27 Ryan Kaplan, Chico, CA; 4. #24 Nick Foster
Jr., San Jose, CA; 5. #10 Will Pierce, Lees Summit, MO; 6. #0 Glenn Styres, Ohsweken, ONT;
7. #64 Brett Miller, Chico, CA; 8. #33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour, IN; 9. #31V Victor Davis,
Simi Valley, CA; 10. #21K Kurt Mayhew, Demotte, IN; 11. #49 Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA;
12. #76K Frank Ikerd, Loma Linda, CA; 13. #7J Eric Todd, Falcon, MO; 14. #6Z Cody Kershaw,
Oak Park, CA; 15. #0C Cameron Beard, Atwater, CA; 16. #87C Tim Crawley, Benton, AR; 17.
#6X Dylan Peterson, Sioux Falls, SD
A Qualifiers (10 Laps - Top 16 in combined passing
points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #69 A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 2. #112
Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, IN; 3. #14J Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA; 4. #7B Austin Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 5. #35X Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 6. #10R Rob Russell, Fremont, CA; 7.
#25A Aaron Ott, York Springs, PA; 8. #57X Jason Holt, Brownsville, IN; 9. #07X Jennifer
Greenberg, Albuquerque, NM; 10. #60 Eric Sandage, Alexander, AR
A Qualifier 2: 1. #05H Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, MO; 2.
#12JR Nathan High, Goodyear, AZ; 3. #26 Glenn Carson, Concord, CA; 4. #22 Brian Camarillo,
Camarillo, CA; 5. #4M Jimmy Light, Indianapolis, IN; 6. #44 Ryan Pace, Brownsburg, IN; 7.
#8G Coleman Gulick, Binghamton, NY; 8. #83 Kurt Blackaby, Bentonville, AR; 9. #9JR Derek
Hagar, Marion, AR; 10. #8R Rick Ehrgott, Brownsburg, IN
A Qualifier 3: 1. #15H Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 2. #86
Justin Allgaier, Cornelius, NC; 3. #5 Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN; 4. #21T Don Droud Jr.,
Lincoln, NE; 5. #67 Jay Drake, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #44F Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, NJ; 7.
#11J Justin Melton, Flower Mound, TX; 8. #7 Critter Malone, Speedway, IN; 9. #57 Kevin
Studley, Plainfield, IN; 10. #27D Danny Jennings, Norman, OK
A Qualifier 4: 1. #75W Josh Wise, Columbus, IN; 2. #21
Tracy Hines, Newcastle, IN; 3. #1S Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 4. #55 Donnie Ray Crawford,
Tulsa, OK; 5. #37J Jeff Bland Jr., Bloomington, IN; 6. #7X Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK;
7. #1D Dennis Rodriguez, Camarillo, CA; 8. #18 Donnie Trent, Honey Brook, PA; 9. #2D Steve
Davis, Norco, CA; 10. #4F Chad Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS
B Mains (15 Laps - Top 4 advance to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #67 Jay Drake, Brownsburg, IN; 2. #7X
Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK; 3. #44F Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, NJ; 4. #21T Don Droud Jr.,
Lincoln, NE; 5. #49 Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ; 6. #75 David Gough, Machesney Park,
IL; 7. #18 Donnie Trent, Honey Brook, PA; 8. #7 Critter Malone, Speedway, IN; 9. #25A
Aaron Ott, York Springs, PA; 10. #57X Jason Holt, Brownsville, IN; 11. #11J Justin Melton,
Flower Mound, TX; 12. #7C Chris Burns, Bethany, OK; 13. #58 Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 14.
#07X Jennifer Greenberg, Albuquerque, NM; 15. #27D Danny Jennings, Norman, OK; DNS - #60
Eric Sandage, Alexander, AR
B Main 2: 1. #35X Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 2. #44
Ryan Pace, Brownsburg, IN; 3. #22 Brian Camarillo, Camarillo, CA; 4. #8G Coleman Gulick,
Binghamton, NY; 5. #37J Jeff Bland Jr., Bloomington, IN; 6. #7E Blake Miller, Yorba Linda,
CA; 7. #9JR Derek Hagar, Marion, PA; 8. #70 Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA; 9. #27
Ryan Kaplan, Chico, CA; 10. #1D Dennis Rodriguez, Camarillo, CA; 11. #2D Steve Davis,
Norco, CA; 12. #83 Kurt Blackaby, Bentonville, AR; 13. #57 Kevin Studley, Plainfield, IN;
14. #8R Rick Ehrgott, Brownsburg, IN; 15. #4F Chad Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS; 16. #24 Nick
Foster Jr., San Jose, CA
A Main (25 laps Top 3 advance to Saturday
Night's Main Event)
1. #21 Tracy Hines, Newcastle, IN; 2. #5 Dave Darland,
Lincoln, IN; 3. #86 Justin Allgaier, Cornelius, NC; 4. #1S Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 5.
#55 Donnie Ray Crawford, Tulsa, OK; 6. #112 Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, IN; 7. #26 Glen
Carson, Concord, CA; 8. #05H Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, MO; 9. #12JR Nathan High, Goodyear,
AZ; 10. #67 Jay Drake, Brownsburg, IN; 11. #7B Austin Brown, Millstadt, IL; 12. #44F Frank
Polimeda, Fort Lee, NJ; 13. #75W Josh Wise, Columbus, IN; 14. #35X Scott Pierovich, Alamo,
CA; 15. #21T Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE; 16. #15H Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 17. #44 Ryan
Pace, Brownsburg, IN; 18. #14J Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA; 19. #22 Brian Camarillo,
Camarillo, CA; 20. #69 A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 21. #7X Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK; 22.
#8G Coleman Gulick, Binghamton, NY; 23. #4M Jimmy Light, Indianapolis, IN; 24. #10R Rob
Russell, Fremont, CA |